Describe the four theories of emotion discussed in the text and provide an example for each. Which do you agree with the most and which the least? Explain your answer.?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
?The James?Lange theory of emotion proposes that physical sensations lead to subjective feelings. At the core of the James?Lange theory is the idea that classes of emotions are the result of a sequence of events. Once an individual perceives a stimulus, such as a grizzly bear, he or she will experience a physiological response. This physiological response is subsequently interpreted by the individual, giving rise to a conscious awareness of a subjective feeling.
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The Cannon?Bard theory of emotion features the simultaneous and independent occurrence of physical sensations and subjective feelings during an emotional experience. For Cannon?Bard, the sight of the bear would immediately and simultaneously trigger a subjective feeling of fear (oh no, there’s a bear in my room) and physical sensations (probably the autonomic nervous system’s fight?flight response in this example). The Cannon?Bard theory does not assume that the experience of a subjective feeling is dependent on any physical sensations.
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The Schachter?Singer two-factor theory asserts that general arousal leads to assessment, which in turn leads to subjective feelings. Schachter and Singer believed that each emotional experience begins with an assessment of our physical sensations. Because these reactions can be similar among emotional states (i.e., fear and sexual arousal), they suggested that interpreting these states requires another step. Any emotional arousal signals us to make a conscious, cognitive appraisal of our circumstances, which then allows us to identify the emotion we’re experiencing. Physical sensations may lead to several different interpretations, based on the way an individual assesses a situation. The sight of a bear would initiate a general state of arousal. To identify the source of your arousal, you would assess your situation, attribute your arousal to the presence of a bear in your room, and identify your feelings as fear.
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The Somatovisceral Afference Model of Emotion (SAME) begins with a recognition that physical responses to a stimulus can range from quite specific to quite general. For example, the physical sensations associated with disgust can be more precise than the physical sensations associated with pride. The initial degree of specificity of the physical response leads to different cognitive processing. A highly specific physical response leads to unambiguous recognition of a subjective feeling. (e.g., A bear walks in, I react physically, I know I’m scared). At the other extreme, instead of specific physical responses, a situation might produce very general arousal, which will require significant cognitive processing and evaluation. For example, a valedictorian giving a graduation speech might not understand her arousal until she sees her parents and other members of the audience clapping and realizes the emotion she is feeling is pride.